Sunday, November 6, 2011

Furoshiki

In traditional Japanese culture, people used furoshiki, a square piece of wrapping cloth to transport kimono, bento, gifts and many other things. After the use of plastic bags became common in the post-war period, the number of furoshiki users almost diminished. In the recent years, however, the trend of using furoshiki has come back again along with the eco-friendly movement. Just a square piece of cloth can be wrapped in so many different ways, kind of like origami. They also come in different sizes, designs, and types of fabric.

My sister found this furoshiki in Japan and gave it to me. The design motif of the fabric is paper cranes!

I can wrap a bottle of wine to take it to a party, like this...

When I go to check out some books at a library, I can wrap the books like this:

Or, if I am going to a spa and need to bring change of clothes, I can wrap them like this.

Really, they are so versatile, eco-alternative to plastic bags and elegant alternative to eco-bags. This website shows many techniques on how to wrap furoshiki. You can buy one there, on Etsy, or many other places. You can also use just a square scarf as a wrap cloth too!